FAculty Guide to Assessing CLOs/PLOs

At MCCCD, the official public listings are the course competencies and the program learning outcomes (PLOs). Course learning outcomes (CLOs) aren't separately published; for assessment projects, faculty select a CLO derived from one or more course competencies. 

• Course Competencies (official): District-approved statements of what a course requires students to learn and demonstrate. Authored by discipline faculty and maintained by CCTA. Faculty assess learning across all course competencies as part of standard instructional practice. View in CCTA Course Search.

• Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs): The specific knowledge or skill a course emphasizes and the evidence students will produce to show they achieved it. In this guide, CLO refers to the particular outcome, aligned to one or more course competencies, selected for an assessment project. The selected outcome should be essential to later student success and show room for growth; outcomes that students already meet should be monitored through routine course checks rather than through targeted improvement projects.

• Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs): What graduates should know and be able to do upon program completion; defined for all MCCCD degree programs and emphases. PLOs are tied to courses, and faculty align course competencies to the relevant PLOs through program mapping. View in CCTA Program Search.

For fuller definitions and links, see the Program Outcomes page.

Beginning in Fall 2025, GCC is launching an integrated course and program assessment model to better support student learning and meet HLC expectations.

What isn’t changing

• Purpose. Assessment is focused on strengthening student learning. Our purpose is not to evaluate individual students or educators, but rather to look holistically at the data, reflect on the results, and act by making improvements to the teaching, learning, and assessment process. 

• Project focus. Each assessment project centers on a faculty-identified CLO (aligned to one or more competencies) targeted for improvement.

• Cycle expectation. Every course—across all modalities (in person, online, live online, hybrid) and faculty type (residential, adjunct, or early college)—will be assessed at least once in the three-year cycle.

• Common assessment. When multiple faculty teach a course, a common assignment/rubric is encouraged as it supports calibration, produces comparable evidence across sections, reduces duplicated effort, and strengthens shared improvement.

What is changing

• Integrated focus. Course projects now sit within programs. Each program will assess at least three PLOs during the cycle.

• Program mapping. For courses that directly support programs, faculty align course competencies to PLOs and mark where required courses Introduce / Reinforce / Meet each outcome.

• Project timing. Begin in Year 1 or 2 so intervention and reassessment are finished by Year 3.

• Reporting flow. A redesigned Assessment Report collects course-, program-, and institutional-level connections; results feed directly into each program spreadsheet for shared review.

• Timeline & language. GCC paused AY24–25 to build this model; implementation begins Fall 2025 using PAIR (replacing PDSA) as a clearer, more intuitive way to describe how we work.

PAIR: At a Glance

• Prepare. Pick the CLO (aligned to one or more competencies). If your course is mapped to a program, link the CLO to the relevant PLO(s). Plan the measure and criteria. If your course is not mapped to a PLO, complete a course-only assessment as before.

• Assess. Gather and analyze evidence of student learning.

• Intervene. Make a targeted change (e.g., assignment redesign, rubric clarity, practice opportunities) and document it.

• Reassess. Check impact after the intervention and record what improved, what didn’t, and what’s next.

We worked closely with Department Assessment Coordinators to update the previous course assessment form so it better supports you and the new integrated course + program assessment process.The form brings all prompts, guidance, and examples into one place, is organized by PAIR (Prepare, Assess, Intervene, Reassess), and lets you preview each step so you know what information and evidence you’ll need before you begin.

Where to click

• Use the Google form link posted at the top of your Program Map. We also post the link in the GCC Program Maps spreadsheet. If you need help, contact your Program Director/Lead or your Department Assessment Coordinator.

What you submit 

• Submit one Assessment Report per project. Results automatically flow to your program spreadsheet for program-level analysis and shared review.

How to preview the form and view sample reports

• We recommend you review the form before your start the PAIR process. Use the template to see the fields, then open the Sample Completed Assessment Report to see what a submission looks like in practice.

What’s new in the report (and why it’s better!)

• Designed for integration. The form records course, program, institutional, and AGEC connections in one place so projects live within programs by default.

• Everything in one place. Prompts, brief guidance, and examples are embedded at the point of use; you don’t need a separate guide to complete the report.

• Organized by PAIR. Sections follow Prepare → Assess → Intervene → Reassess, making it clear what to do next and what evidence to capture.

• Short writing, stronger numbers. Most entries are concise; you’ll also record key counts (e.g., semesters, students, met/not met) that support analysis and reassessment.

• Program-specific context built in. Course lists, PLOs, and links to the program map appear directly in the form you use.

• Continuity with the old form. Nearly all primary content from the 2021–2024 form is still here—restructured for clarity and integrated reporting.

Find your program map in the GCC Program Maps spreadsheet. Use the search/filter to locate your program by name or code; the submission link appears at the top of each map and in the spreadsheet. Short how-to videos are posted below.

Program maps are primarily working tools for program directors and lead faculty, but all faculty should be familiar with them to see how their courses support the program (e.g., how competencies align to PLOs and where courses Introduce/Reinforce/Meet outcomes). Most faculty won’t need to work in the spreadsheet; your level of interaction will be guided by your program director or lead faculty.